Check-row planter.



PATENTED JULY 19, 1904.

' A. L. PERKINS.

CHECK ROW PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

anve ufo'c VIII/Ilrlllllld llrlrllflr mlllllllllll II No. 765,296.PATENTED JULY 19, 1904.

A. L. PERKINS. CHECK ROW PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1903. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES Patented July 19, 1904.

ALBERT L. PERKINS, OF PLEASANTGROVE, TEXAS.

CHECK-ROW PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 765,296, dated July 19,1904.

Application filed July 22, 1903. Serial No. 166,642. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT L. PERKINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pleasantgrove, in the county of Wood and State of Texas,have invented a new and useful Oheck- Row Planter, of which thefollowingis a specification.

My invention is a. check-row planter, and is designed as an all-aroundplanter adapted for use in planting corn, peas, cotton, and all seedsusually planted in rows and not sown broadcast or drilled in acontinuous stream.

My invention has for its object the planting of seeds at regularintervals along a row and the planting of parallel rows, so that thehills of such rows will be in alinement with those of the first row,thus facilitating subsequent cultivation of the field.

My invention consists in the novel features of construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described, particularly pointed out inthe claims, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure lisa perspective view of my planter. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the hopper.Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the lower portion of the hopper,the upper part being broken away and the seed-distributing mechanismbeing shown in elevation. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the checker.Fig. 5 is a perspective view detached of the agitator used in thehopper. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the frame, the hopper being removed.Fig. 7 is a detail view of the checker-rod, parts of the frame being insection and the rod being shown in a raised position. Fig. 8 is asimilar view, the rod being shown in a lowered position. Fig. 9 is aplan view showing the top of the rod. Fig. 10 is a detail perspectiveview of a gage.

In constructing my planter I employ a rectangular frame A. In theforward portion of this frame is journaled in the sides of the frame arotatable shaft A, on which is rigidly keyed the wheel A This wheelrotates within the frame, the periphery of the wheel traveling on theground. Resting on the sides of the frame to the rear of the wheel is acylindrical hopper B. The central portion of the bottom of the hopper isdepressed, ofiset, or punched outward, as shown at B. In the cylindricalsocket formed above said offset portion and having its upper surfaceflush with the remainder of the hopper-bottom is rotatably arranged adisk C. Arranged on the bottom of the hopper is a sector-shaped plate C,its arc resting against the side of the hopper, and the plate is firmlysecured to the bottom by suitable bolts or rivets at points adjacent theside of the hopper. Perforations are formed in the plate O, disk O, andbottom portion B on the axial line of the hopper, and a stub-shaft 0extends upward through said perforations. At its lower outer end theshaft U carries a beveled gear 0 and above the plate O asuitable collaror nut is secured to the shaft to hold it against downward movement, thegear O preventing any upward movement with reference to the hopper. Thatportion ofthe shaft passing through the disk O, which has a squareperforation, is squared, and it is obvious that the disk will rotatewith the shaft. In that portion of the bottom B lying under the plate 0an aperture O is formed, and a simular aperture U is formed in the diskO, both apertures being the same distance from the shaft. As the diskrotates the aperture (j will be brought in registry with the aperture Uonce during each revolution of the disk.

On the shaft C slightly above the bottom of the hopper is mounted theagitator, which comprises a conical disk having pins Ciprojectingupwardly and outwardly from its sides and pins (l projecting downwardlyand outwardly from the bottom of the cone.

To rotate the gear G a horizontal shaft D is supported longitudinally inthe frame A by suitable brackets D, and on the forward end of the shaftis a beveled gear D which meshes with the spur-gear A carried by thewheel A A beveled gear D fixed on the shaftD intermediate its ends,meshes with the beveled gear C On the side of the hopper opposite theplate C the hopper-bottom is slotted, as at E, said slot beingtransverse to the shaft D. A wheel E is arranged on said shaftimmediately below the slot E, and the periphery of the wheel carriesfine pins E, which project into the hopper through the narrow slot E.

The rear end member A of the frame A is vertically perforated, and avertically-movable checker-rod F slides in this perforation. The rodalso works through a guide-bracket F, carried by the under side of themember A*. A foot F is formed on the lower end of the rod F, said footacting as a marker. A spring F is coiled around the rod and bears at itsupper end on the under side of the end member A and at the lower end ona pin carried by the rod. To lift the rod against the tension of thespring and gravity, a rockshaft G is journaled in the sides of the frameadjacent the member A and carries a knocker G, which knocker as theshaft G rocks strikes the under side of a projecting head F, carried atthe upper end of the rod, thereby lifting same. The head F is pivoted tolugs carried by the checker-rod. The rod is tubular and slotted at F,and the head F has an arm F projecting intothe rod through the slot. Acoiled spring F is secured within the rod and has its upper end fastenedto the arm F of the head F". This spring draws the rear end of the armdownward, and the upper rear end of the head strikes the rod above theslot, thus limiting the downward movement of the arm and holding thehead F" at a right angle to the checker-rod. The upper edge of the headis forwardly and downwardly beveled, as shown in the drawings. To rockthe shaft G, both it and the shaft A are provided-with crank-arms H,connected by a pitman H, whereby rotation of one shaft rocks the other,the crank arm to the shaft Gr being the longer.

The usual discharge-chute l is provided and also a rear supporting-leg Jand handles J".

' A gage K, having a downwardly-projccting point K, is pivoted betweenlugs K at a rear corner of the frame. This gage may be turned inwardagainst the sides of the frame when not in use. In use it is turnedoutward at right angles to the frame A and the apparatus moved intoposition so that the point K will be over a hill of the row next the oneto be planted.

The operation of my device is as follows: Seed having been placed in thehopper, the device is started, draft being attached to the draft-iron AThe rotation of the wheel A will through the spur and bevel gears rotatestub-shaft C disk C, and agitator C. Seed will pass into the perforationC as into a pocket and be carried under the plate C, and as soon as theaperture 0 registers with the aperture (1* the seed will fall throughthe latter into the discharge-chute. The checkerrod is so timed that itwill descend and mark each hill. When a new row is started, the wheel Ais turned so as to cause the checker to descend as the device is placedin alinement with'the first hill of the preceding row and the devicethen started and all hills in the new row will come directly oppositethe hills of the preceding rows. The agitator C will prevent seed frompacking in the central part of the hopper, and the pins will aid intearing apart matted bunches of cotton-seed which, owing to the lint,have a tendency to adhere together and clog a planter of the ordinarytype designed for planting grain only.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. I The combination with a wheeled frame, of a vertically-movablechecker-rod carried by said frame, a spring adapted to bear downwardlyon the said checker-rod, a rock-shaft journaled in the frame adjacentthe checkerrod, a knocker carried by and rotating with the rock-shaft, aprojecting head pivotally connected to the checker-rod, a spring adaptedto normally hold said head in a horizontal position and in the path ofthe rock-shaft, and means for rocking said shaft at certain intervals oftime.

2. A device of the kind described comprising a vertically-movablechecker-rod carrying a marker at its lower end and hollow in its upperportion, said" hollow portion being slotted, a wedge shaped head pivotedto the checker-rod and having an arm extending into the slot, a springarranged within the hollow portion of the checker-rod and secured to therod at its lower end and to the inner end of the arm at its upper end, arock-shaft, means for rocking the shaft, a knocker carried by the shaftadapted to depress the outer end of the head when the shaft is rocked inone direction and to lift the head and checker-rod when the shaft isrocked in the opposite direction.

ALBERT L. PERKINS. Witnesses:

Tiios. WV. BROOK, J. HUB WRIGHT.

